It has been explained to us in detail that they already could travel abroad.

I was told time and time again that they weren't restricted from traveling abroad. When repudiated with actual facts you just got mocked and slandered (such as Cuban bloggers explaining that a white card could take as long as 10 years to get and that for USAians a passport is "shall issue," though expensive, we get one if we aren't on probation or parole).

...spend dollars that here takes no amount of time to make to have luxurious vacations at their whim. It's a shameful policy that both countries have limited the free movement of people, both the US forbidding American's from "aiding Cuba" and making up bullshit standards that merely spending money there is "aid." To Cuba forbidding most Cuban's from being able to leave that country. Yes, most, not all, most.

some include pressure from other countries. The USA surely doesn't want a flood of Cubans landing in Florida since they have the right to stay there under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Spain put a stop to Cubans arriving and asking for asylum or using Spain as an avenue to get to the USA where they would use the Adjustment Act.

Someone has to finance most Cubans abroad. This is why many were leaving sponsored by a business or organization. No country wants them arriving and going on public assistance.

My guess is that all immigration changes in Cuba are done with some input from the USA or at least knowledge of what Uncle Sam would think. The right wing in Miami doesn't want a flood of Cubans because economic refugees are more likely to vote democratic at some point.

The US would be immensely pressured to lift the Cuban Adjustment Act. Cuban's would come here, get dual citizenship, go back and forth, it'd be great for the Cuban people, and the American people would be taking the brunt of it from an economic perspective (they can come here, make money here, spend money in Cuba, but we can't go there?).

I really don't think Cuba is thinking about what the US wants as far as immigration is concerned, they just don't want the kind of really chaotic change that would happen if they didn't tightly control movement.

As far as Miami Cuban's? The majority polled now are already anti-embargo. The fact that the right wing Miami Cuban's don't want them to be able to come here really underscores the fact. Cuba should lift it.

Both sides have been playing the "i can restrict my citizens, too!" card for too damn long now. Hopefully if the Cuban govt. follows through with this, which they obviously should since its a basic human right to leave one's country, it may push the Obama admin and the congress critters into lifting the travel ban completely for all Americans.

I travel all over the world. Am in Balkans right now, I can go, I think, everywhere except Cuba. Cubans basically can't go anywhere.

You know, the one we've had since the 60s. Please read carefully next time.

And yes, you can legally go anywhere in the world as an American, except Cuba. Something is certainly wrong with that, don't you think?

but anyway, yes I think there is something wrong with that.

The real key is that you have to jump through hoops to get there.

I think between Cuba and the US the restrictions are probably tighter on Cuba's end.

but two wrongs don't make a right. But credit to Obama, i no longer have to travel via the Bahamas when i visit Cuba.

and I hear overbooked sometimes and then one is charged for bringing in items.

If the embargo was ended that bs would end too. The charter operators are getting rich off the situation.

In this case I'd sure like to see the free market rule, 59 dollar flights on Jet Blue!

It was a nightmare checking in. So many people with 5 or 6 bags loaded with goods for family members, then you have to sign some paperwork at the check-in counter. It took about 3 hours to check-in for a 45-minute flight. Ridiculous. Same with the price, as you said about $500. Its still better than going through the Bahamas, but good grief, i remember reading an article a few years ago saying Obama was considering allowing commercial instead of charter flights to Cuba, why he didn't follow through on that i have no idea. But oh well, it is what it is. Maybe his second term will see more changes, who knows.

I have used Cancun as a gateway but now that's pretty useless. Only Cubana flies and not every day of the week on those old Russian planes, yikes. Plus, the times mean having to overnight for the most part. So I was considering trying out Nassau but I don't know the drill and don't want to get caught there due to high prices on hotels.

If I did get caught there or had a bad connection and had to stay is there any reasonable hotel? How are the planes? I heard "hot and shakey". But nothing is much worse than those Russian planes. Also, is US customs there at the airport? It used to be I believe.

Thanks for confirming that the direct flights are so time consuming, that makes it easier to go via another route.

Food, hotels, taxis etc... I would definitely make sure there's at least a couple of hours difference between flights so as not to get stranded there. Also, there's not much to do. I haven't flown out of Nassau in a couple of years, but when i did the planes were usually on time, sometimes it was an Airbus and sometimes it was an old Russian Yak, but always in good shape, and since Cuban-Americans like myself no longer have to take that route i would imagine there's less people flying out of there now, hence smaller waiting times.

As for US Customs, they have a pre-clearance station at the airport there, but i actually find them to be more laid back than Customs here stateside (shorter time getting through, not many questions etc...) They searched me for Cuban "contraband" once, but it was no biggie.